The state’s Department of Workforce Development announced Wednesday that some Wisconsinites who’ve exhausted their unemployment benefits can now apply for an additional 13 weeks of assistance.
The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program was created as part of the CARES Act, the federal coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress in March. People who’ve already received 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, typically the limit, can apply for the benefit through DWD, according to a news release from the agency.
The agency notified individuals who’ve already exhausted their benefits that they may be eligible for the new program. It said people who are currently filing weekly unemployment claims will receive information about the program through their online claimant portal.
People who receive extended benefits will also receive an additional $600 per week from the federal government, another component of the CARES Act, through July 25, 2020, according to DWD.